The warm light of pubs and the smell of beer is a sharp change after the deserted highway and the Taggart farm. Alexander opened his eyes and found himself sitting at a wooden table in the corner of a typical English pub. There was a relaxed atmosphere of Friday evening all around - laughter, conversations, the ringing of glasses.
"Britain?" he thought, listening to the accents around. Yes, definitely somewhere in England. There was almost a full pint of beer in front of him, which he apparently did not have time to finish drinking before his "arrival".
Alexander looked around, trying to figure out which horror movie he got into this time. The pub looked quite ordinary - nothing mystical or frightening. Maybe the action will start later?
His attention was attracted by laughter from behind the next table. Four men of about thirty years sat at a large table, actively discussing something, periodically raising glasses. One of them, blond in a checkered shirt, looked noticeably more drunk and depressed than the others.
- Come on, Luke, - said the guy with dark hair, patting the blond on the shoulder. - Don't blame yourself. You couldn't do anything.
"Luke," Alexander repeated to himself, and something clicked in his memory. The name seemed familiar.
- He could, Dom, - Luke replied gloomily, taking a big sip of beer. - I was standing there like an idiot and watching him being killed. I could have intervened, I could have done something...
- So what then? - the third, plump man with a beard intervened. - You would have been killed too, Hughtch is right. That freak had a knife.
- Phil is right, - supported the fourth, the youngest in appearance. - Rob wouldn't want you to die because of him.
"Rob... Robert..." - pieces of the puzzle began to fold in Alexander's head. "Luke, who feels guilty for the death of Robert's friend... Four friends..."
And then it dawned on him.
"Ritual," he almost cursed out loud. - "Fuck. Are you serious?"
Alexander remembered this movie well. Four friends go on a hike through the Swedish forests in memory of the deceased fifth friend. In the forest, they encounter an ancient creature - the offspring of the Scandinavian god Loki, who begins to hunt them one by one.
"Ragaty, that bastard definitely wants to kill me," Alexander mentally cursed. - "First creatures, from another dimension it's difficult, yes, but doable. Then there is an ancient monster, but still a physical opponent. And now you're sending me against a semi-divine being that can manipulate reality?"
He tried to concentrate to feel his new ability - the one that the Devil promised to give him in this world. But, like last time, nothing happened. Electricity was in place, physical improvements, he felt more or less, but he had no new strength.
"Purifying," he thought sarcastically. - "I will fight the offspring of Loki's son with bare hands and a couple of lightning. Yes, I'm just Zeus. I wonder what could go wrong?"
The hatch at the next table was getting more and more drunk and depressed. The other friends tried to cheer him up, but without success.
- You know what, - said Dom, decisively banging his fist on the table. - Enough. We are going on this hike. Rob dreamed of traveling around Sweden, remember? Let's do it in his memory.
- The house is right, - Hutch supported. - Great idea. The change of scenery will benefit everyone.
Phil looked less enthusiastic:
- I don't know, guys. Hiking in the wild is serious. We are not very prepared...
- Come on, Phil, - Dom waved it off. - We're not going to Everest. A few days in the forest, tents, bonfire, male friendship. What could be easier?
"Meeting with the ancient god of death," Alexander thought gloomily. "But you'll find out later."
Luke was silent, spinning an almost empty glass in his hands. His face reflected an inner struggle - guilt, doubts, desire to escape from his own thoughts.
"It's time to get into the game," Alexander decided.
He took his pint and approached their table, trying to look a little drunk and friendly:
- I'm sorry for overhearding it," he said with a slight accent that could have come off as some European. - I couldn't help but hear the conversation about the hike. He is a big fan of trekking himself.
Four friends looked at him with surprise. The house, as the most sociable, was the first to find:
- Oh, hi. Yes, we are planning a little trip here. And where are you from, if not a secret?
- From Eastern Europe, - Alexander answered vaguely, sitting down on a free chair. - I've been in England for a long time. My name is Alex.
- Home, - the dark-haired man introduced himself. - It's Phil, Hughtch and Luke, - he pointed at his friends in turn.
Alexander nodded to everyone, paying special attention to Luke, who looked the most lost:
- Were you talking about Sweden? A great place for trekking. I've been there a couple of times.
- Really? - Hughtch was interested. - And where exactly?
Alexander quickly remembered the geography of the film:
- Northern forests. Very beautiful places, but... - he paused, - require respect. Those forests are ancient. There are all sorts of things there.
- What do you mean by "everything"? - Phil asked with slight anxiety.
- Well, you know, wild animals, - Alexander shrugged. - Bears, wolves. Plus, it's easy to get lost if you don't know the terrain. The forest over there... is special.
Luke looked up, joining the conversation for the first time:
- Special?
Alexander looked into his eyes, seeing pain and guilt in them:
- Yes. Those places are very old. Locals still tell stories about all kinds of mystical shit. Spirits of the forest, ancient gods and so on. Of course, it's all fairy tales, but... - he paused again, - in such places it's easy to believe in the supernatural.
- Are you trying to scare us? - Dom asked with a far-fetched laugh.
- No, I'm just saying that you need to be careful, - Alexander replied. - Especially if you don't go on hiking trails.
- And we're not going to, - said Hughtch. - We want to get away from civilization. Rob... - he hesitated, - our friend always dreamed of a real adventure.
"He'll get his adventure," Alexander thought gloomily. "The one he never dreamed of in nightmares."
- I understand, - he nodded. - Losing a friend is hard.
Luke raised his head sharply:
- You don't understand.
- Luke... - the House began warningly.
- No, seriously, - Luke drank more beer, his speech became more and more indistinct. - You don't know what it's like to stand and watch your best friend be killed, and do nothing.
Alexander looked at him carefully:
- What happened?
- Rob was killed in the store, - Phil said quietly. - Robbery. Luke was there.
- And I didn't do anything, - Luke added bitterly. - I stood like an idiot and watched. I had the opportunity to intervene, but I shook.
Alexander paused, then asked:
- And what would Rob do if I were you?
Luke looked at him in surprise:
- What?
- If the situation was the opposite. If only they were killing you and he was watching. What would he do?
- He... - Luke thought, - he would try to help. Rob has always been braver.
- Maybe, - Alexander agreed. - Or maybe he would have done the same as you. The instinct of self-preservation is normal. You don't have to be a hero.
- But I could... - Luke began.
- He could have died, - Alexander harshly interrupted him. - And then instead of one dead friend you would have two. Do you think Rob would like that?
Friends looked at each other. Alexander said what they had been trying to convey to Luke for several months, but for some reason these words sounded more convincing from a stranger.
- Do you know what the worst thing is in guilt? - Alexander continued. - It makes you think that your pain somehow helps the deceased. That if you suffer enough, it will change something. But it's not so.
Luke was silent, but Alexander saw that his words were coming.
- Rob died, - he said softly, but firmly. - It's terrible, but it's a fact. You can spend the rest of your life self-flagellation, or you can do something that would matter to him. To live. Remember him. To be the friend he knew you to be.
- Yes, fuck, - Luke exhaled, and for the first time in the evening something but despair was heard in his voice. - You're right.
The house looked at Alexander with gratitude:
- Thank you, dude. We tried to explain it to him, but...
- Sometimes you need a look from the outside, - Alexander shrugged. - I also have experience of losses.
"For example, his own death," he added gloomily to himself.
- So what about the hike? - Hyutch asked. - Do you really know the Swedish forests?
Alexander nodded:
- Not bad. Why, do you need a guide?
- Do you mind making company? - Dom suggested. - It would be great to have an experienced hiker in the team.
"That's how I gained trust," Alexander thought. "It's easier than I expected."
- I don't know, - he pretended to hesitate. - You want to spend time with the four, in memory of a friend...
- Come on, - Luke raised his head, and a spark of interest appeared in his eyes. - Rob loved to meet new people. He would approve.
- Then okay, - Alexander agreed. - But on one condition - we're going on a safe route. No extreme deviations from the trail.
"Althowh I know that we will still collapse," he added mentally. - "In this film, the group has no choice."
- Agreed, - Dom nodded. - By the way, do you have any equipment?
- Most of them are there, - Alexander lied. - I'll buy something tomorrow.
They agreed to meet in two days at the station to go to Sweden. Alexander wrote down the contacts in the phone which he found in the pocket of his coat, and promised to be ready.
When they parted, Luke lingered:
- Hey, Alex. Thank you for... the conversation. I really needed to hear it.
- You're not for anything, - Alexander replied. - See you in a couple of days.
Left alone in the pub, Alexander ordered more beer and tried to think about the situation. He knew what was waiting for this group in the Swedish forests. An ancient creature that plays with its victims like a cat and mice. A monster that can penetrate the mind, create illusions and has the power of a demigod.
"How the hell am I going to fight this?" he thought. - "Electricity? Against a creature associated with Loki? It's like spitting against the wind."
He tried to feel the new ability he was supposed to have again. I concentrated, tried to find something unfamiliar in my feelings. Nothing.
"Maybe it will appear at a critical moment?" he thought. - "Like night vision last time. Or maybe we need some kind of trigger."
He remembered the movie, trying to find the enemy's weaknesses. The creature was tied to the forest - this is its territory and source of power. Outside the forest, it may have been weaker. But escape from the forest was not an option - in the film, the forest itself did not let the heroes leave, changing the paths, creating labyrinths.
"Fire," he suddenly thought. "In Scandinavian mythology, many creatures are afraid of fire. Plus, the forest is combustible. Maybe it's the key."
But even if he sets fire to the forest, how will it help? The creature could not be vulnerable to it, it could also move between trees. And forest fires had a nasty way to get out of control.
"We need more information," he decided. "When we get to Sweden, we'll have to find out more about the local mythology. Perhaps there are some rituals of exile or protection."
Alexander finished his beer and left the pub on a cool London night. The city lived its own ordinary life - people rushed home, the light was on in the windows, music was playing somewhere. An ordinary, normal life, which he will only dream about in a few days.
"The devil, you sent me on a suicide mission," he mentally cursed his "employer". - "Creatures from other dimensions, an almost immortal monster, now a finished demigod. What the fuck is next? Some kind of demon dressed as a nun?"
But there was no choice. The devil made it clear that there is no alternative to participating in these games. It remained to be hoped that the new ability would manifest itself at the right time and would be powerful enough.
"In the meantime, I need to prepare," he decided. - "To study the enemy, find his weaknesses, come up with a plan. Even if the chances are scarce, I won't give up without a fight."
Alexander walked through the night streets of London, mentally making a shopping list for the hike. He will need not only the usual tourist equipment, but also something special. Torches, flammable liquids, possibly signal rockets.
"If I can't kill God," he thought with gloomy determination, "then at least I'll arrange a memorable meeting for him."
Somewhere in the depths of consciousness there was a strange feeling - as if something was trying to break through to the surface. A new ability? Or just nerves before the upcoming test?
"Whatever it is," Alexander thought, "I hope it will help me stay alive long enough to find a way to defeat this creature."
The night wind brought the smell of rain. In two days they will be in the Swiss forests, and his most difficult test will begin.